The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1887-12-16

with the Dikeses. the Sparkscs and
Bill Shipley. 10 Ellet. Sect Dairy. ole
Doc Daily and "a lot more, would dance
one of those quaint old saltwater
dances en- costume. At half-past eight
promptly the general dance was arl-
nounced to begin. So there would be
ample time for ride of dozen or
twenty miles-the way zee rode, and
the horses we rode. s
So, bolting this meal, and thinking
of Polly and her complete surrender,
and staggering with the new impor-
lance of my position, followed Buck
to the door, where Little Bill
bikes was holding two stamping and
rearing half-breeds and swearing.
''Run um tell thur tongues lOll fur
whit 1 k-yur," was the admonition
from the head-man of Bogusses' stable
as we jumped into the saddles. And
with an answering yell that rang far
out over the wide river bottoms we
were off down the river road in a cloud
of light sandy dust that rolled up be-
hind us and thinned out up among the
thickly-growing leaves of the forward
woods.
Hardly were we out of sight of Sand
town when Buck pulled up to a swift.
smooth lope, and loosening the belt Of
his wawmus, drew thence two large
pistols already bclted.
''Buckle than roua You, Jim, un
don't talk much on this trip. But keep
yur eye peeled"
Thus forewarned and upon the look
out for mystery. and, too, with the keen
thrill of adventure, we "loped'' on and
on until ut least eight good miles had
been measured out, and our horses,
thoroughly blown. were quite willing
to take the moderate walk with which
Buck. turning to the left. struck into
the dcnscly wooded and wholly unset
tied hills.
A deep, wide hollow, dark with the
approaching twilight and the profusion
Of half-grown leaves that spread vast
network against the diffused light from
the red and yellow west. No UNDER
growth here save little patches of hazel
and brier and masses of wild-pea vines
and gigantic bcars-foot weeds standing
from last year and cracking under our
horses legs and feet. The path-if
there were PATHWAYS not visible to
my eyes; and l simply permitted my
horse to follow his leader rs l followed
| mine.
Gigantic old oak and poplar and
walnut trees lay PROSTATE in all mag
Unable directions, and long. slender
branches of beech and maple reached
far down to the ground, SO that had
to keep my eyes upon my leader and
lean to the right when he leaned. and
lie fat down ON my horses neck when
he lay down. The horses, too. were
skilled traverscrs of these primcval
woods and knew how to leap some
logs. and when to follow round to the
uptOrn roots of others.
All round us, this dense and resonant
forest rang with the far-rcaching mel
low cry of myriads of whip-poor-wills.
many of them SO near us that we could
distinctly hear the cultural .cluck"
with which their cry is always con-
cluded. Down the wide. dim hollow
came at short and varying intervals
the deadened roar of drumming pleas
ants. Great birds. wild turkeys and
horned owls crashed through the small
branches of tall trees high overhead in
sudden and tumul,uous fight before
our rapid advance. Numbcrless ami
mails. night providers of this wilderness.
fed noisily to the right and left, rat
Ting among the dry leaves and scrap
ing harshly upon the dry boles of reso-
nant trees in swift retreat to security
within some upper cavities. The
black underworld of the big Hollow"
was full of the wild, weird noises of the
night, that to those not familiar with
them By long association must have
tecmed with startling half terrors.
Even to me, reared among them,
there was always something of the
startling and terrible in the vast, hol-
low. rcverberatlng shout of the great
horned owls and the shrill. monotonous
call of the whip-poor-will heard in the
heart of night-b,ack woods. was
thinking of this when the sudden halt
of my leader brought us Sle by side.
See h-yan light h-yander!" Buck
muttered. almost inaudibly.
Yes" l said. after moment spent
in locating dim. difruscd light seem-
ingly ut some distance in our front and
above our level.
"Whui do you spose hit is?''
"Thc moon coming up?" venture,
in a suggestive question.
mo. Hits mt Now keep clostc
behine me, IN Ill show yuh whit hit
is" He turned TO the left, ascending
the steep side of the ''hollow," and for
the next two minutes l was falIy en-
ployed in keeping my seat and lodging
the innumerablc switches of the tall.
So N:Asss